


muscle

by captainstarspangled



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bodyguard, Howard Stark's Good Parenting, M/M, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2019-07-29 21:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16272899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainstarspangled/pseuds/captainstarspangled
Summary: Ever since the age of 15, Tony has had a muscle, a protector for himself, a bodyguard. When Howard realizes that throughout his son's MIT years, said man has let his son do whatever he wanted and only really cared about Tony's body rather than the man himself, he advertised for a new bodyguard. Someone who will be there for Tony 24/7, who will protect him if it mattered, who would be like a big brother for him.Steve is in desperate need of a job. Bucky works as an intern as a direct assistant to Howard Stark. He makes the two ends meet.





	1. fired

**Author's Note:**

> so I had this idea bc yesterday one of our clients was flying (i work at a pilot school) and his bodyguard came in and asked us how much longer it could take. and then he sat down waited for three hours before his 'boss' (who is btw v hot) came, and then he took him home. he said his life is being spent around his boss, he goes out with him, he drives him anywhere, he goes to family parties with him. 
> 
> I love happy loads but I think this is kinda a cute concept.

"Anthony, we need to talk." The last sentence Tony heard in complete freedom was one that made him suspect the worst. It was during spring break in senior year at high school when his parents sat him down to talk. They were at the Stark mansion in Hawaii, had been for a week and were having a great time. Tony's parents travelled a lot, were actually the boy's favorite people in the whole world although he had tons of friends and loved to enjoy some free time with their son.

"We haven't told you when you were younger because it never truly concerned you. But now it's probably for the best." Howard took a very deep breath. "We've been getting death threads from time to time, ever since I started the company." Tony's heart stopped. "This never truly mattered because we have our bodyguards, but recently you've received one too." Tony frowned. He had just released a project together with his father, maybe 2 weeks ago, and already there were death threads?

"Anyway, we think it's the best if you get a bodyguard too." Tony looked up from his finger nails.

"Really? Do you think that's necessary?"

Maria sighed. "It's just a precaution honey, until you've finished the school year, then we'll decide from then on." 

So the Starks hired Christian, Tony's bodyguard, who was never more than 100 yards away, even when Tony was at school. Christian was about 25, and in dire need of money to sustain his family when he received the job. He worked until the end of Tony's school year, and then continued to be the boy's bodyguard when he started at MIT three months later.

The years at MIT took their toll on Tony. He was only 15, missed his parents a lot and easily influenced. Tony started to get drunk every weekend before even having a driver's license. But it didn't matter, he lived in his own apartment, had a personal driver and protector who didn't give a shit about what he did, but always carried him home when he couldn't walk anymore. Christian was taking this protecting Tony's life very serious, physically. He wasn't there for the billionaire's son when he cried himself to sleep every now and then, although he heard him perfectly, he wasn't there to hug Tony when his first girlfriend broke up with him, he didn't give Tony advice to what he could do regarding his personal relationships. He didn't know that Tony was depressed, and that one of his 'classes' during which Christian sat at a café nearby was actually Tony's weekly visit to the psychologist. He didn't notice the man taking antidepressants every day.

But Tony pulled through all of college, made three Master's degrees in law, mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering and even gained a best friend. He was 23 by the time he was finished, ready to have a year off. 

They arrived at the Stark mansion in Malibu early in the morning. Tony had woken up in the middle of the night, unable to wait any longer to get back home and demanded to be driven to the airport, where the private jet would bring him and Christian home. 

Tony hugged his parents tightly when he walked through the front door. "How are you?" Maria asked, and Tony shook his head into their hug. "Have you taken your medicine?" He had not, he had forgotten them at home. 

"They're still in Massachusetts."

Christian looked at the family confused. He had no idea what they were talking about.

 

"Why on earth does Christian not know about your depression?" Howard was frantic, walking up and down Tony's bedroom. 

"He doesn't care, dad." 

"What do you mean he doesn't care?" And that is how Howard found out that Christian had watched his son get drunk, high on pills and weed, seen him cry and never reacted to it. Tony was right, the bodyguard didn't care. Howard fired Christian the next day.

"I'm going to Europe, I won't get killed there." The Starks were having dinner just a week before Tony's 'gap year' that would be spent all around the world. 

"Anthony please, we just want you to be safe. And we'll find someone who cares about you, someone who can be a friend of yours." Howard took a bite from the pasta the cook had made. 

 

"I don't know man, I'd just really love to travel the world, I've been on a stupid ship for four years and besides these muscles, I didn't get anything out of it." 

Bucky smirked at his best friend. Steve had been a navy seal for four years since they'd graduated college, and had never had an easy time settling. The college years had been the hardest on him. 

The Romanian immigrant promised his friend he would look out for good jobs for him to earn enough money to travel the world. 

The next day, Bucky went to work as usual. He had quite a good job, worked at the Stark Industries headquarters in Los Angeles. Stark was the biggest tool brand on the planet, and had daughter companies in almost every field of business. And Bucky was Howard Stark's, the son of Richard Stark's, personal assistant. 

"James, could you come in here please?" Howard sounded a bit stressed, but he was per usual a very calm person, and never took his own problems out on his employees. 

When Bucky entered the office, he was greeted with the usual warm smile of Howard Stark. "Good morning Howard, how are you?"

"I'm good, thank you James. I only have two tasks for you today."

"Oh?"

"Yes. First, I'm gonna need you to get Tony's medicine, he forgot it in Massachussetts yesterday. Here's the adress," Howard handed James a contact card of their local pharmacy. "Tell them I sent you, and explain why Tony needs it already now." 

"Sure thing. What else?" 

"You'll drop it off at our house and then... The next task may be kinda hard. I need you to find a bodyguard for Tony. I want it to be someone who cares about Tony, none of that professional shit who only protect his life. I want it to be someone who cares about him, makes sure he doesn't hurt himself. You're a smart kid, I'm sure you'll find someone. We just need someone for Tony's trip to Europe next week."

Of course, what went through Bucky's mind then was only one thing: Steve.


	2. off we go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve goes to introduce himself to his new boss and prepares for their upcoming trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just remembered this fic and idk I had some fun... also I purposely wrote the amount of words that would make the total be 2000 words😁so this chappy is a short one

It was two in the afternoon when Steve rang the Starks' doorbell at the front gate of their Malibu mansion. He'd just come from lunch with Howard Stark, who had explained the situation to him, and then suggested he go and introduce himself to Tony right after.

It was a hot day, and Steve started to regret the decision of wearing dress pants and a white, sweat-revealing button up when he climbed out of his Corolla in front of the mansion. The front door opened before he even stood on the first step of the marble stairs leading up to it. A lanky, brown haired man, presumably in his 40s, walked outside and smiled at Steve. "You must be Steve Rogers. I'm on the run right now but we'll meet soon enough, Tony is by the pool in the back, serve yourself."

Just as fast as he'd come outside, the man had already disappeared in one of the Audis in the driveway and Steve was left alone with an open door to the mansion. Carefully, he walked inside.

The Starks' Malibu mansion was more sophisticated than Steve had expected. The contemporary, glass covered building stood tall at a hill, not too far from the seashore. The garden began at a small cliff and was centered around a sky blue pool, brick walks and sunbed all around it. The back of the house was broken by a line of French windows, letting in as much sunlight as possible.

Steve stumbled over a step at the patio door but luckily caught himself before he fell, and found Tony Stark lying on a white sunbed, wearing light blue swimming trunks and a white silk robe with wild patterns all over.

Upon seeing Steve come outside, Tony got up and walked around the pool. The expensive robe he was wearing was open at the front, showing off tan skin and a toned body Steve hadn't expected him to have. He glanced quickly at the cocktail glass in the other man's hand and then up at his eyes that were covered in yellow tinted, large sunglasses.

Tony stretched out a tan hand to him and Steve shook it with his big one. "Tony," he said sparingly and looked into Steve's steel blue eyes.

"Steve," Steve said with a slight smile, and watched the corners of Tony's mouth twitch.

"So you're the new muscle," the shorter man of the two said, and took a seat at the table in front of the windows, shaded by the balcony above their heads. He motioned for Steve to sit down around the edge of the table.

"I guess so," Steve said as Tony slurped at his cocktail and he licked his lips, uncertainty settling in his stomach. He had no idea what was going on. "Your father says you're planning to travel next year?"

"Yeah, ever been to Europe?" Tony said, a slight slur in his voice and Steve realized he must be at least tipsy. Wow, this was off to a great start.

"Not yet," Steve stated hesitantly.

"Great, then I'll have a lot to show you," Tony said, a big white grin plastered over his face.

They continued to talk like that, Tony making silly remarks here or there and getting progressively more drunk off the by the end empty Cocktail in front of him.

At three in the afternoon, the front door opened and in walked a broad shouldered blond man, carrying what seemed to be a massage table in one hand and a bag in the other. Tony stood up and walked over to greet the man. "Thor," he said with a smile over his face and hugged him.

"Meet my new muscle, Steve," he said and the two men shook each other's hand as well.

"So Steve, I'll be getting my massage now. See you Saturday?" Tony asked and Steve nodded.

"See you Saturday," he said and left the mansion.

 

Steve had three days to pack for a year long trip to Europe now, and he felt utterly overwhelmed with the task.

Tony had told him to pack light, that they were going to be backpacking for most of the trip and couldn’t use any extra baggage on their backs.  
The blonde ex navy seal used those three days fully to prepare for his trip: buying appropriate clothing, saying goodbye to friends and family and mentally preparing to spend a year so close with the most impulsive personality he’d ever met.

Bucky continuously assured him that Tony was a good kid, but the man found it hard to believe considering that Tony had greeted him drunk at two in the afternoon wearing a silk robe that had probably cost him more than Steve’s car was worth.

Granted, Tony was only 23 years old, and he had three Master’s degrees in fields Steve couldn’t even describe. But professional achievement doesn’t mean sobriety or sensibility, and he was sure that Tony was living proof for that.

Nevertheless, when the prejudices clouded his mind, Steve pushed them very far back. He was being given a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he wasn’t about to smother it.

The three days he had left in LA passed by quicker than he would’ve liked, and before he knew, Bucky dropped him off at the Starks Malibu Mansion with just a big backpack as luggage.

As if on cue, a big backpack was thrown into the entrance area and down the stairs stumbled a tipsy Tony Stark.


	3. long haul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony make their way to Paris.

Getting Tony from the Stark Mansion to the First Class lounge at LAX Airport was certainly something Steve would remember for quite a while.

Tony wore a pair of black sweatpants, a white shirt and a black denim jacket that had Versace written over half his back and half his chest, and then another time on his left arm. This whole look wouldn’t even have been so eccentric and classic Tony Stark if he hadn’t topped it off with a pair of black leather Gucci mules, insides lined with fur and golden decorations on top of them.

Steve hated the looks piercing through him as he guided the tipsy billionaire son through the airport in an outfit that dragged even more attention to the pair than Tony’s personality already did.

He’d been thankful for the short wait at both the check-in counter and the security scan, and luckily Tony even let him do the talking.

Once they were finally sitting at a table in the lounge, Steve could relax too. Tony stuffed his face with sushi from the free buffet and the blond bodyguard tried to calm his nerves before the storm; he was scared of flying.

“What’s wrong with you Stevie?” Tony asked and took a drink from his water. Steve had insisted he shouldn’t drink anymore alcohol and noticed the slur in the young man’s voice wearing off, a pang of relief flushing through his body.

“I’m good Tony, thank you,” he said and Tony pulled a grimace at him.

“Then go get some proper food before you’re stuck in a plane seat next to me for eleven hours,” Tony grinned and Steve let out a sigh.

“I’m not really in the mood to eat anything,” Steve stated simply and looked at the planes taxiing on the runway.

If Tony hadn’t still been tipsy, he might’ve even felt the uneasy vibe coming from his muscle, but right then, he just shrugged his shoulders and ate more of his California roll.  

 

 

 

It was about an hour later that the two of them finally got to board their plane to Paris.

Steve, who had never in his life flown First Class, looked in awe as they entered the cabin. It was everything he’d imagined and more; first of all, there were only four seats per row as oppose to the usual 10 in Coach, the seats were big, really big and they had lots and lots of leg room.

Their assigned seats were in the middle row at the very front. Each of them had a TV above the ottoman at the wall in front of them, and the two seats were separated by a broad counter. Beneath the table to Steve’s left, he found a space to store his bag and jacket for the flight, as well as a little amenity kit which held tooth paste, a tooth brush, shampoo, a notebook, tissues, a roller pen, some musk, a sleep mask and even a pajama.

“Tony,” Steve whispered while Tony was taking off his jacket and stowing it away in the compartment beneath the table.

“Huh?” The Stark son asked as he straightened his back and looked at the blond man.

“Is there a shower on this plane?”

Tony ruffled the front of his hair. “Oh yeah, it’s down the corridor on your left. But I’d wait until we’ve reached our flight level,” he informed the man, yawning and opening up his amenity kid as well. He made use of the provided hand sanitizer while Steve watched him dumbfoundedly, then he pulled a blanket and a sleep mask from a compartment under his seat and placed them on the counter between the two of them.

“What?” Tony asked when he noticed Steve still looking at him, and the older man snapped out of it right away.

“Nothing I just… I’ve never seen showers on a plane,” Steve said, blushed and turned away. It’s not like he’d ever focused on anything other than not shitting himself on a plane.

“Oh,” Tony smiled, cheeks crinkling at that. “Yeah it’s kinda dumb, isn’t it?” he said and Steve decided he liked slightly tipsy/sober Tony the best. He had yet to see him completely sober, but this was promising.

Steve wondered whether Howard had mentioned a drinking problem, but couldn’t figure it out, so he sent Bucky a quick text as the plane was filling up around them.

 

 

 

A few minutes later, they were finally ready for takeoff, or well, the aircraft and every person on the plane aside from Steve was maybe.

The 25-year-old gripped the sides of his seat tightly, his knuckles turning white while they finally took off and Steve felt that all too dreaded low feeling in his stomach. Tony noticed the state his bodyguard was in, but he kept his mouth shut and busied himself playing a game on his phone.

Steve was an adult and could ask himself if Tony could hold his hand. The young Stark sure hoped that this would happen during their next flight.

He watched gleefully as Steve’s eyes always grew in excitement when he found something new that he was not used to from flying Economy class. There was a lot he’d have to show to the man, and he couldn’t wait for it.

Steve seemed to relax drastically once they were flying in a horizontal position and served some food. Tony was glad he did, and began to bombard the man with questions right away.

During that 11-hour-flight, he learned more about Steve than he’d known about Christian in over eight years.

Tony told Steve about their travel plans, and the spots he wanted to show him all over Europe and Steve listened intently, none of them even trying to fall asleep despite their flight being a red-eye one and the fact that they would arrive early in the morning with plans for the day.

Steve decided he liked sober Tony the best before they even touched down in Paris.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over the span of like 5 days and by now I'm fully crushing on that guy whoopsie. And he's coming to take his exam this afternoon and I was given the job to be there for him and make sure he fills in every form correctly and ahh he's adorable. also 15 years older than me.


End file.
